By Timothy Bradfield
Correspondent
The Ridgeland High football team will be left high and dry this year, and the school's head football coach says he's excited and that his players are, too.
"They can't wait. Every kid wants to play on turf," Coach Mark Mariakas said.
The school's field is being overhauled because it's been a headache for several years, officials said, with natural grass in the process of being replaced with artificial turf.
"We've had some trouble with the field ... just holding water and staying damp and wet," said Walker County Schools Director of Administrative Services Chris Jones.
"Nobody wants to go out there and practice all week long for a big game, and you go out there and you're ankle deep in water and mud," Coach Mariakas said.
He said the overhaul includes a new drainage system, which will solve the water problem. After both the grass and dirt -- to a certain depth -- are removed, trenches will be dug and drain pipes laid in them, the coach says. Next, workers will fill the created space with stones for a foundation and, finally, the artificial turf will be added.
"The water goes right through the carpet, right through the stones, through the drainage and out," Coach Mariakas said.
The price tag is $560,000, officials with Walker County Schools said.
Ridgeland raised almost $80,000 to put toward the bill, Coach Mariakas said.
"The support the community has given for this project has been second to none," he said.
The coach said natural grass could have been put back on the field for less money, but artificial turf will be a money saver in the long run.
"There's absolutely no cost to keeping up that (artificial) field. There's no paint cost. There's no mowing cost. No fertilizer. No week killer. No water bill," he said.
In contrast, Coach Mariakas said, it costs $10,000 to $20,000 a year to maintain the grass field.
Another benefit to the turf is safety, because the turf field is softer because of its rubber construction, he said.
"There're less concussions and less injuries on a turf field than a natural field," Coach Mariakas said.
The sod has already been removed from Ridgeland's football field, stacked on approximately 150 pallets for recycling. School officials said telephone calls were made to all of Walker County's schools -- there are 14 including Ridgeland -- telling them the grass is available if they want it, just come and get it.
The new field is scheduled to be ready before classes start on Aug. 16.
"It is anticipated that the school and community will be delighted with this project as the fall football season opens," said Walker County Superintendent of Schools Melissa Mathis.
Continue reading by following these links to related stories:
Article: Harris chooses South Carolina